Ben Stokes added a century to the five-for he had already taken to cement his place among the greatest allrounders in Test cricket, and after all that he just had to sit back and watch as his bowling attack laid waste to India’s top-order. England had piled up 669, their fifth-highest total in this format. They kept India on the field for 157.1 overs and the fatigue that it caused was certainly on show. India, trailing by 311 runs, lost two wickets scoring any of their own.Stokes, who retired hurt on 66 with leg cramps, seemed back to his fighting best judging by the quick single he took in the very first over of play. Anshul Kamboj had hit the stumps direct at the bowlers end and Mohammed Siraj was so certain it was out that he had his forefinger raised to various corners of the ground. Replays showed a different picture and Stokes took to Siraj in the next over, dancing down the track and clattering him through cover for four.There were a few nervy moments as he approached his century, his first in 35 innings. A neat nudge off the hips brought it up. Stokes punched the air as he ran down the pitch and brought out the folded-finger salute – a tribute to his father Ged – while the trumpeter in the crowd added to the moment by belting out the Superman theme. Stokes joined Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as the only three allrounders with 7000 Test runs and 200 Test wickets. He became the fifth captain to score a century and pick up a five-for.India were already showing signs of wear. They gave away overthrows. They spread the field for the No. 10. In situations like this, the 15 minutes they had to endure until lunch become extremely dicey and Chris Woakes made it impossible. He started around the wicket immediately to make sure the left-handed Yashasvi Jaiwal would not have easy leaves. The angle forced the mistake as he tried to flick one off middle stump only for the ball to seam extremely sharply off the pitch to take his leading edge through to Joe Root, who fumbled initially before gathering it on the second attempt. Sai Sudharsan showed the clearest signs of fatigue among the Indian players when he was faced with a harmless short and wide delivery. He tried to play at it. Eventually he realised he didn’t need to. In the end, he was caught at second slip leaving the ball.Shubman Gill walked out to face the hat-trick delivery, surrounded by five slips and a leg slip and his team yet to score. They managed one run during the three-over barrage.
Former Atletico Madrid star Gabi has blasted Vinicius Junior's Clasico antics as "unacceptable and egocentric," telling Xabi Alonso he "has to take action" against the Real Madrid star. The criticism follows Vinicius storming down the tunnel after being substituted against Barcelona, reportedly saying he will leave the Spanish side as he walked down the tunnel.
Vinicius causes a storm in the Clasico
Vinicius has faced heavy criticism for his explosive reaction to being substituted in the 72nd minute of Sunday's 2-1 win against Barcelona. Alonso withdrew the Brazilian to replace him with compatriot Rodrygo. In response, Vinicius stormed off the pitch, reportedly shouting: "Always me… I'm leaving the team, it's better if I leave, I'm leaving," towards the bench.
He proceeded directly down the tunnel, only to return to the bench several minutes later. He was subsequently booked after the final whistle for his involvement in a post-match confrontation centred around Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.
Former Real Zaragoza coach and Atletico Madrid captain did not hold back in his assessment of the Brazilian's theatrics, insisting the responsibility to manage the star lies firmly with the coach.
"He tests everyone around him every day. For me, it was to be expected; the one who has to take action is the coach," Gabi said on .
"What I detest most in a footballer is the theatrics and grand gestures, being put to the test in public… Whatever you want behind closed doors, no problem."
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Gabi condemns 'egocentric' apology
The former coach also outlined how he would have managed the immediate fallout, criticising Vinicius's subsequent actions, which included a public apology that conspicuously omitted his manager.
"What would I have done after the Clasico? After the match, you have to talk to him," Gabi said. "You can't just let it go and have him issue a statement and not apologise to the coach. It's unacceptable and egocentric."
Gabi extended his criticism beyond the single incident, suggesting a pattern of behaviour and referencing Vinicius's high-profile anti-racism campaign, which he implied the player was using inappropriately.
"It's a combination of things. You get carried away and do things that, in my opinion, are inappropriate," Gabi said. "You judge teammates, the coach, a whole country, saying we're all racist… what the hell is going on? This isn't the path for me. It's very difficult to know how to win; you get carried away and do things that aren't right."
He concluded: "No one can think they are above the team. Any player who feels superior has a problem… Unless you're Messi, who won games single-handedly."
Real Madrid opt against punishing Brazilian
Despite Gabi's call for action, Madrid will not formally punish or suspend Vinicius for the outburst, reports. The club maintain that disciplinary matters remain internal and a spokesperson declined to comment. However, the report adds the relationship between Alonso and Vinicius has been "affected" by the incident and the pair were expected to hold face-to-face talks upon the squad's return to training.
At the executive level, reports the hierarchy is "fully supportive" of Alonso's decision-making. The coach, who returned to the Bernabeu this summer after a successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, is free to make technical decisions as he sees fit.
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Alonso addresses Vinicius Jr issue
Publicly, Xabi Alonso refused to criticise the winger in his post-match press conference, instead contextualising the substitution as a normal part of management.
"The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal," Alonso told reporters. "It's true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.
"Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, 'Are you taking me off?' And I said, 'Yes'. Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn't very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I'm very happy with Vinicius's performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going.”
أعلن المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، التشكيل الأساسي لخوض مباراة اليوم ضد فريق ريال مدريد، في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26.
ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول وريال مدريد، في الجولة الرابعة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، مرحلة الدوري لذلك الموسم.
اقرأ أيضًا | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول وريال مدريد اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. والمعلق
ويحتل ريال مدريد المركز الخامس في جدول دوري أبطال أوروبا، في الوقت الحالي، برصيد 9 نقاط، في حين أن ليفربول لديه 6 نقاط في المركز العاشر.
وحسبما نُشر، يتواجد النجم المصري محمد صلاح في التشكيل الأساسي لفريق ليفربول في مباراة الليلة ضد ريال مدريد. تشكيل ليفربول أمام ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا
حراسة المرمى: مامارداشفيلي.
خط الدفاع: كونور برادلي، إبراهيما كوناتي، فيرجيل فان دايك، آندي روبرتسون.
خط الوسط: ريان جرافنبيرخ، ماك أليستر، دومينيك سوبوسلاي.
خط الهجوم: محمد صلاح، هوجو إيكتيكي، فلوريان فيرتز.
Tempers flared between the two after Munro appeared to accuse Iftikhar Ahmed of bowling with an illegal action
Danyal Rasool24-Apr-2025
Colin Munro scored 45 off 28 balls in Islamabad United’s chase•PCB
Islamabad United opener Colin Munro and Multan Sultans captain Mohammad Rizwan have been found guilty of Level 2 breaches of the PSL code of conduct, and docked 30% of their match fees for the game between the two sides on Wednesday. The players were found guilty of a clause pertaining to “personal abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee” after tempers flared following an interaction between Munro and Sultans bowler Iftikhar Ahmed.The incident, which occurred in the second innings, saw Munro miming a gesture at the bowler, Iftikhar, implying he was bowling with an illegal action. Iftikhar was agitated by Munro’s accusation, and went to complain to square-leg umpire Chris Brown. Rizwan, the Sultans captain, was clearly incensed, and had a heated exchange with Munro.While the PCB charge levelled against Munro does not include his accusation against Iftikhar, ESPNcricinfo understands match referee Ali Naqvi and the board took it into consideration before applying penalties. Both Munro and Rizwan were deemed to have crossed over from merely aggressive actions or behaviour, which would lead to a Level 1 charge, into outright abuse, and as a result more serious charges were laid and sanctions imposed.No umpire reported Iftikhar’s bowling action, which has never been reported in his career. However, it is not the first time a Pakistan bowler has been directly accused of illegal delivery by an opposition batter.Mohammad Hasnain was accused of chucking by Marcus Stoinis when the bowler got him out during a Hundred contest; Hasnain had only recently returned from suspension after having his action cleared. In 2018, New Zealand batter Ross Taylor appeared to indicate to the umpire that Mohammad Hafeez – who had previously been banned three times for bowling with an illegal action – was bowling with a bent arm. It prompted the then Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed to term Taylor’s behaviour “disgraceful”.Islamabad United ultimately won Wednesday’s game by seven wickets, with Munro scoring 45 off 28 balls before being caught by Iftikhar off Michael Bracewell’s bowling.Karachi Kings’ Aamer Jamal, meanwhile, was fined 5% of his match fee for a Level 1 breach after being found guilty of giving Peshawar Zalmi batter Hussain Talat a send-off after dismissing him.Munro, Rizwan and Jamal accepted the charges and pleaded guilty to them.
Hampshire 164 for 5 (Stoneman 46) lead Yorkshire 121 (Dawson 3-8, Abbott 3-42) by 43 runsWhen Yorkshire announced Jonny Bairstow as their new captain in red-ball cricket, the thought occurred that it could be a lively tenure. Passion and pride in the White Rose were a given. So too some potentially more combustible moments from a man who doesn’t so much wear his heart on his sleeve as have his entire circulatory system tattooed across his body for all to see.The blood would have been pumping as Bairstow walked out for the toss for only the fourth time in professional cricket – and first for Yorkshire since taking charge of a T20 Blast game against Northamptonshire in 2015. The new season, with Yorkshire back in Division One after a two-year stint in the second tier, lay waiting to be conquered. On a bright morning, with just a little high cloud cover overhead, Bairstow called correctly, opted to bat… and pretty soon, to paraphrase another famous Yorkshireman, it was all going off out there.A little assistance for Hampshire’s attack was to be expected from a fresh pitch in the opening week of April, but being bundled out within eight overs of the second session starting was clearly not in the Yorkshire masterplan. Each of the visiting top six made it into double-figures, but none managed more than Dawid Malan’s 31. More pertinently, only two – Adam Lyth and George Hill – could claim to have been got out by the bowler.Bairstow, who kept wicket and batted at No. 5 in addition to his captaincy duties, walked out to the middle at just past midday, arms windmilling energetically before scratching his mark and then turning to face Brad Wheal, bat held high in trademark style. With Malan at the other end, Yorkshire might have hoped for a partnership of Test-match pedigree to lift the innings from 56 for 3. Instead, having nudged a few singles and then carved Sonny Baker through point for his first boundary, Bairstow fell to the Hampshire new boy’s second delivery, again short and wide but this time sliced straight to third.Hampshire’s batting was far sturdier in response, albeit conditions eased as the sun shone on the south coast and the temperature bobbed into the 20s C. Mark Stoneman, having earlier pulled off a direct hit aiming at one-and-a-bit stumps to run out Malan, marked his Hampshire debut by striking a crisp 46 in an opening stand worth 70. Fletcha Middleton added a more workmanlike 45 but Yorkshire grafted to prevent them from running up a more significant lead, with Hill twice plucking out leg stump in dismissing Stoneman and Tom Prest.Bairstow the captain will have been prepared for tough times – with England, he seemed to thrive in adversity – and he did not seem unduly concerned with how his team had fared in their opening skirmish with a side that finished each of the last three seasons in Division One’s top three, exchanging friendly words with the travelling Yorkshire support as he led the players back on after tea.In the field, Bairstow’s demeanour was upbeat and he marshalled his resources proactively to stymie Hampshire during the evening session – particularly in light of the injury suffered by Ben Cliff after bowling just four overs. His scrambling catch to dislodge Middleton via bat and pad off the bowling of Dom Bess was the epitome of hard-won success, and he celebrated with a roaring double fist-pump reminiscent of his international days. The fire still burns brightly, if ever there was any doubt.April is usually the month for bum pats and bobble hats, players blowing into their hands while trying to keep warm in the field. But on the first day of the season, supporters strolled around Hampshire’s bucolic concrete bowl in shorts and shirt sleeves, kids playing with tennis balls on the concourse – only the occasional presence of a chilly breeze reminded you that we are still among the first stirrings of spring. The official attendance was 2,148, and there was an air of busy expectation around the ground as Hampshire began their first season under the auspices of the Indian conglomerate GMR Group.Whatever has changed in the boardroom, the metronomic approach of Kyle Abbott – playing his ninth season of Championship cricket for Hampshire – remains reassuringly familiar. He was soon probing away around off stump, winning an lbw appeal against Lyth in the seventh over having switched to round the wicket. Brett Hampton, the New Zealand allrounder signed at short notice after Jack Edwards was forced to pull out of his overseas stint through injury, then picked up a wicket with his fifth ball as Fin Bean drive loosely to backward point. James Wharton edged to the slip cordon trying to drive Wheal down the ground before Bairstow handed Baker his first Championship wicket.Malan’s ill-judged tip-and-run to cover left Yorkshire five down at lunch, but they tumbled like a stock exchange in the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs after the break, losing 4 for 2 as Liam Dawson turned one past Will Luxton’s careful forward defensive to dislodge the off bail. In all, the last five wickets fell in the space of 27 balls. From there, Yorkshire and Bairstow will hope the only way is up.
Celtic moved back to the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Sunday afternoon with a hard-fought 2-1 win away from Parkhead against Kilmarnock.
The Hoops needed a header from Japan international Daizen Maeda and a last-gasp penalty from Kelechi Iheanacho to claim all three points in the match.
As shown in the clip in the post above, summer signing Marcelo Saracchi was key to the first goal with his sublime cross from the left flank to tee up the Celtic centre-forward to score.
Marcelo Saracchi's performance in numbers
The Uruguay international was selected to play from the start for the Scottish giants to provide first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney with a rest, after he had to pull out of the Scotland squad through injury.
Saracchi played the first 58 minutes of the game, before being replaced by Tierney, and his assist for Maeda was the only chance that he created in that time on the pitch.
The left-footed battler had a few nervous touches early on in the match, and gave possession away 12 times in total, but he steadied himself to put in a solid performance, winning three of his four duels, per Sofascore.
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Whilst Saracchi’s assist for Maeda’s goal could be described as Tierney-esque, there was another player on the pitch who could be the club’s next Tierney in the making, Colby Donovan.
Why Colby Donovan may be the next Kieran Tierney
The Celtic number 67 returned to Glasgow for a second spell at the club after he initially broke through the academy to become a first-team star before his £25m move to Arsenal in 2019.
Tierney, as shown in the graphic above, made 170 appearances and won five titles in the Premiership after emerging from the youth ranks to lock down the left-back spot.
Brendan Rodgers may have unearthed the club’s next cab off the ranks in the form of Donovan, whose performance showed that he is more than capable of starting games at right-back for the Hoops.
Vs Kilmarnock
Colby Donovan
Minutes
90
Clearances
7
Blocks
1
Tackles
2
Ground duels won
3/6
Aerial duels won
4/4
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Scotland U21 international was incredibly solid defensively throughout the match, winning seven of his ten duels in total.
Rodgers trusted the youngster, who made two prior appearances off the bench this season, to step in as a starter in place of the injured Alistair Johnston and Anthony Ralston, and the teenage starlet did not let him down.
To go along with his defensive excellence, Donovan also had 101 touches of the ball and completed 82% of his attempted passes, which shows that he was comfortable and reliable on the ball for the most part.
After a couple of nervy touches early on, which were to be expected on his full debut, the 19-year-old talent settled down and showcased his class on and off the ball at right-back to prove that he is a genuine first-team calibre option for the manager to call upon.
With Johnston out for several more weeks with a hamstring injury, Donovan has a real chance to nail down a starting spot in the side for the foreseeable future, which would then put him in position to be the back-up to the Canada international instead of Ralston.
It is now down to the academy graduate to deliver quality performances, like his display against Kilmarnock, whenever he is called upon to make sure that Rodgers has no excuse to drop him.
Isak thinks he's "fearless": Celtic are now brewing their next Matt O'Riley
Celtic are brewing their next Matt O’Riley with this versatile attacking star at Parkhead.
ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2025
If he can do that, Donovan may well go on to be the next Tierney as another academy graduate full-back who could be a real success at Parkhead. One thing is for sure: his performance on Sunday was a terrific first step towards achieving that.
Rohit Sharma’s decision to sit out of the Sydney Test shouldn’t be misconstrued as a retirement decision, he has said. He is confident “things can change” and those with a “mic, pen or laptop can’t decide when we should retire.”Rohit was reacting to media reports in India that had brought his Test future into sharp focus following India’s loss in the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne, which all but ended their chances of qualifying for the WTC final.”This decision is not a retirement decision,” he told during the lunch break on day two of the Sydney Test, in which Jasprit Bumrah is captaining India. “Nor am I going to take myself out of the game.Related
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“I sat out of this match because runs are not coming off my bat. There is no guarantee runs won’t come five or two months down the line. I have seen a lot in cricket that life changes every second, every minute, every day.”I have confidence in me that things can change, but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. So life won’t change by what people with a mic, pen or laptop write or say. They can’t decide when we should retire, when we should sit out, when we should captain. I am a sensible man, mature man, father of two kids. So I know what I need in life.”Rohit, India’s Test and ODI captain, missed the start of the Test series on paternity leave. After joining the squad midway through the series opener in Perth, which India won by 295 runs, Rohit slotted into the middle order for the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests to accommodate KL Rahul at the top of the order.In Melbourne last week, Rohit returned to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Rahul slotting in at No. 3 and Shubman Gill losing out on a place in the XI. However, two failures and a loss on a dramatic final day led to chatter around his place in the XI.Rohit didn’t do his usual pre-match press conference a day out from the final Test, and head coach Gautam Gambhir sidestepped questions on Rohit’s participation, stating a call would be taken after looking at the pitch.”I made this decision after coming here [to Sydney],” Rohit said. “We had only two days between the matches. On New Year’s, I didn’t want to have this chat with the selector and the coach. But it was in my mind that I am trying my best but I am not getting the runs. I have to accept it and have to get myself out of the way.”The chat that I had with the coach and the selector was very simple: my bat is not scoring runs, I am not in form, this is an important match, and we need players who are in form. As it is, the boys are not in great form. So I had this simple thought in my mind: we can’t carry out-of-form players.”That’s why I thought I should tell the coach and the selector what’s going on in my mind. They backed my decision. They said you have been playing for so many years, you are the best judge of what you are doing.”Rohit’s form has been a concern for a while. He had averaged 13.30 over ten innings against Bangladesh and New Zealand during the 2023-24 home season. And he presided over a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand, India’s first home-series loss since 2012-13.”It was a difficult decision for me, but if you keep everything in mind, this was a sensible decision,” he said. “I am not thinking too far. Right now, what does the team need? That is what I was thinking. Nothing else.”
تحدث تشافي هرنانديز، المدير الفني السابق للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة حول الأداء المميز الذي يقدمه الإسباني الشاب لامين يامال، خلال الفترة الماضية ومنافسته على الكرة الذهبية.
كان تشافي هو أول من أعطى الفرصة لظهور لامين مع نادي برشلونة في 29 إبريل سنة 2023 حينما حل بديلًا لـ جافي في الدقيقة 83 أمام ريال بيتيس.
وقال تشافي في تصريحات عبر صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: “أشعر بفخر كبير بما يقدمه لامين وبمنحه فرصة الظهور لأول مرة، رأيته مستعدًا تمامًا رغم بلوغه الـ 15 من عمره، رأيته واثقًا بنفسه، يتمتع بقدرات رائعة، يُحدث فرقًا في التدريب”.
وأكمل: “لم يكن يخشى شيئًا، منذ اليوم الأول كان فارقًا، بالنسبة لي هو من الصفوة ويمكنه أن يُحدث نقلة نوعية في عالم كرة القدم، لا يعاني من أي عقدة ولا يخشى شيئًا”.
اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير: ناد عربي قد يعيد تشافي إلى التدريب بعد رحيله عن برشلونة
وعن استحقاقه الكرة الذهبية: “هذه المرة ألقاب الفريق كانت أكثر أهمية، بالنسبة لي بالطبع استحقها، كذلك فيتينيا وصلاح، وبيدري، ورافينها، هناك الكثير ممن يستحقونها لكن في النهاية الألقاب هي الأهم، لامين سيفوز بها يومًا ما، أنا مقتنع ولكن عندما يفوز فريقه بدوري أبطال أوروبا أو كأس العالم”.
وعن ترشيحه للفوز بالكرة الذهبية في أول ظهور له أوضح: “نعم، بلا شك لقد تحدثنا عن ذلك بالفعل داخل الجهاز الفني، قلنا إنه مرشح قوي للفوز بالكرة الذهبية، عند مشاهدته وهو يتدرب، يمكنك بالفعل رؤية أشياء مختلفة، تدرك على الفور أنه كان من بين المرشحين المختارين للفوز بها”.
وعن تتويج لاعب خط وسط بالجائزة أتم: “فينتينيا، بيدري أو دي يونج هم من يسيطرون على المباريات، كنت أنا كذلك، كنت هناك، إنهم مهمون للغاية، ولكن هناك أيضًا لاعبون صفوة مثل لامين أو ديمبيلي أو غيرهم من اللاعبين السابقين، والذين يكونون حاسمين في المباريات”.
Liverpool have forked out over £200m on new first-team signings this summer, and there’s more still to come from sporting director Richard Hughes, whose task is a significant one.
Last summer, the former Bournemouth technical director came under fire for his supposed hesitance in the transfer market. Liverpool had clawed their way back into the Champions League and had won the Carabao Cup, but Jurgen Klopp had managed his last and signings were needed, were they not?
But Federico Chiesa was the only man added to the ranks, joining from Juventus for a cut-price £12.5m (aside from Giorgi Mamarashvili, who has now completed his £29m move from Valencia after spending the 2024/25 campaign back on loan with the La Liga side).
Liverpool's FedericoChiesaand Alexis Mac Allister
But Hughes’ long-term plan was vindicated when Arne Slot led Liverpool to the Premier League in his first season, almost nine years after Klopp replaced a bruised Brendan Rodgers.
The Reds finished ten points ahead of second-place Arsenal, and now they are showing their hand; now they are spending. Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have reshaped the squad – and there’s more still to come.
The latest Liverpool transfer news
Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez remain the most likely Liverpool stars to complete high-profile exits, with the former coveted by Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the latter by the Saudi Pro League.
Liverpool want to sell Nunez, who hasn’t worked out three years on from his big-money move from Benfica. Diaz, however, is set to stay put unless a mammoth bid comes in.
Should the Merseysiders be roped into selling, however, they want to set themselves up. As such, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon has been earmarked, one year after a saga emerged concerning the Magpies winger and the Reds.
Rodrygo, otherwise, would be the dream, albeit the Brazilian is worth €100m (£85m) and is fixed in Arsenal’s sights.
Who knows which way the wind will blow with those murmurings? However, Nunez is set to leave, and Liverpool had wanted another Newcastle sensation to replace him: Alexander Isak.
However, the Toon closed that door, and Liverpool have instead moved for another, and he wants to join.
Liverpool on the brink of signing
According to Sport BILD, Liverpool are edging closer toward signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, though the German club are holding out for €100m (£85m).
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, the French forward wants to sign for the Anfield side and has even submitted an official transfer request to manoeuvre the discussions into the closing stages.
Personal terms are all but finalised, no problem there. However, the outfits need to iron out the details, with an official proposal now imminent.
The 23-year-old should sign as Liverpool’s new number nine, and in doing so, may emulate Virgil van Dijk, in a sense.
Why Liverpool are signing Hugo Ekitike
It’s not over till the fat lady sings. A saying that’s well worth remembering in football. Take Van Dijk. Liverpool signed him for £75m in late December 2017 – some Christmas present, that.
But months earlier, Liverpool had been left hot under the collar after Southampton put paid to their advances, ending the building saga in June 2017 after an alleged illegal approach. FSG apologised for “any misunderstanding” and put their bid on hold.
But Van Dijk had caught a whiff of Klopp’s project and was sold. Well, he was several months on, in any case. The Netherlands international handed in a transfer request later in the 2017 summer window and informed Saints he wanted to sign for Liverpool.
The rest is history, with Van Dijk, now 34, one of the most decorated and accomplished defenders of his generation. Ekitike is no doubt eager to take a leaf from the centre-back’s book, having established himself in the Bundesliga, posting 40 goal contributions from 64 matches in a season-and-a-half with Frankfurt.
Make no mistake, we’re not claiming Ekitike will be utilising his 6 feet and 3 inches to protect the box, rocketing up with steely headers and flying this way and that with tough challenges. This, clearly, isn’t Slot’s Van Dijk heir.
But there’s a pattern to the respective deals which highlights FSG’s method, having identified one of Europe’s most exciting up-and-comers and spent the big bucks on reeling him over to Anfield.
Early into his career, Ekitike – described as “unreal” by analyst Ben Mattinson – has demonstrated growth and ability, which has already led to a €35m (£30m) transfer from Reims to Paris Saint-Germain.
24/25 – Frankfurt
33
15
8
23/24 – Frankfurt*
14
4
2
23/24 – PSG
1
0
0
22/23 – PSG
25
3
4
21/22 – Reims
24
10
4
20/21 – Vejle*
11
3
2
20/21 – Reims
2
0
0
Sure, Isak would have been nice. The 25-year-old is, after all, “the best striker in the world”, as analyst Raj Chohan put it last season, but Hughes’ contacts with Newcastle turned up nought. We’d have been looking at something in the £200m ballpark, which is a nonsensical figure.
But in Ekitike, Liverpool have a rising phenom, the perfect profile. He’s mobile, slippery and intelligent, a fierce and constant pepperer of the goal. His finishing leaves something to be desired, but this can be worked on. FBref record that Isak is one of his most statistically comparable players, after all.
Journalist Graeme Bailey has even called the France talent “the next Mbappe”, with his creativity, pace and dynamism making him more than just a player of French likeness.
Hugo Ekitike
Was Van Dijk the finished product when he first alighted in Liverpool? Were the detractors not vocal in their scorn? Liverpool paid over the odds for some half-decent defender, they claimed.
The Reds skipper is now considered one of the finest players of his generation, one of many cases of FSG’s data department coming up trumps.
With Ekitike, they may well strike gold once again.
Better than Isak & Ekitike: Liverpool make £142m "monster" a dream target
Liverpool have two primary candidates to bolster their forward line; Alexander Isak & Hugo Ekitike.
Aston Villa are facing a tricky transfer window after just avoiding the PSR axe and being fined by UEFA last week for breaching FFP regulations.
Aston Villa ready talks to sign £18m forward and may use Malen in swap deal
Talks are planned ahead of a potential move to Villa Park.
By
Henry Jackson
Jul 12, 2025
Their sale of the women’s team to V Sports “effectively solved” their PSR worries, according to The Athletic, but just days later, UEFA slapped Unai Emery’s side with a fine of around £10 million, which could go up by another £13 million if they fail to comply again in the next three years (BBC).
Taking this into account, Villa could still be forced to sell a high-profile player or two, or face the risk of not being allowed to register players for their Europa League campaign, similarly to Chelsea, who were punished in similar fashion last week (BBC).
“We’re trying to predict the future, and that’s never an easy game, but if you look at a worst-case scenario with the ban, I think at the moment there’s a lower level of risk attached to that, shall we say,” said football finance expert Dan Plumley to Football Insider recently.
Aston Villa manager UnaiEmery
“I know that they’ve come out and said they don’t have to sell players, and it’s not something that they’re looking at, but I think it’s likely probably one or two do move on.
“Ultimately, given those numbers, the difference between Champions League football and Europa League will hurt them a little bit financially as well, but they have had a good year in the Champions League. So there’s a lot of moving parts to it.
“I guess in terms of a ban, we’re still not quite there yet, but I think they’ve got a bit of work to do.
“As we’ve said before with Villa, looking at those numbers, there’s a bit of work to do in the next year, and you hope that that’s not a possibility for them. I think it’s likely they’ll have to get a couple of players out of the door this summer.”
Interestingly, Villa haven’t stopped being linked with star players this window, and they’re rumoured to be closing in on a deal for Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
However, as one shot-stopper comes in, another could be on the way out.
Port Vale make offer for Aston Villa keeper Filip Marschall
That is according to Football League World, who report that Port Vale have made an offer to sign Aston Villa keeper Filip Marschall on loan.
The 22-year-old is also attracting interest from Blackpool, but it is Vale who’ve made the first move for him, although there is no word on Villa’s stance just yet after they were sent this proposal by the League One side.
Marschall spent the 2024/2025 campaign on another temporary deal at Crewe Alexandra in League Two, making 47 appearances as a mainstay for the English minnows, and he’s been praised as a real hard-worker behind-the-scenes at Villa.
“Filip’s desire to improve in all areas sets him apart from others,” said former academy goalkeeping coach, Mark Naylor, after Marschall won Villa’s 2020/2021 scholar of the year award.
“He has a driven mindset that allows him to push himself in order to progress. He is constantly looking for that extra percent that will improve his performance both on and off the field.”